The players

Star man

Manchester City's Edin Dzeko, 33 goals in 60 internationals, is an obvious figurehead, but the playmaker Miralem Pjanic is key. Full of flair and energy, the 24-year-old scored what his Roma coach Rudi García called a "Maradona-esque" goal against Milan in April. "It should be seen all over the world," gushed García. "It needs a global stage." The immodest Pjanic has self-belief aplenty, too. "Barcelona? That would not be a bad destination for me. I could show my full range of abilities."

One for the Premier League

The 20-year-old Schalke left-back Sead Kolasinac is an £8m-rated powerhouse dubbed The Destroyer. Kolasinac says Manchester United have made an approach but his options – and value – will increase post-Brazil: "I will take my time."

The bad boy

Dzeko can be spiky. His relationship with coach Safet Susic was summed up after a torrid 2-0 defeat by Egypt in March, which led to in-fighting. Dzeko said fans who booed him for not trying should be "ashamed … I came here injured and Susic knew it … he didn't replace me when I asked. Only he knows why." Susic hit back: "He will play when I tell him to play. I decide. I don't care if I have the players' support."

The weakest link

The defence. Susic has his extreme-attack style worked out – but only the captain, Emir Spahic, was ever-present at the back during qualifying.

The coach

Susic is a former midfielder for Yugoslavia and veteran of the 1982 and 1990 World Cups. In 2010, he was voted Paris Saint-Germain's best player of all time by France Football. The rugged Susic oversaw a nine-game unbeaten run from August 2012 to August 2013 and believes in military discipline and educating the whole player. "There will be no sex in Brazil. They will have to improvise. This is not a holiday." Nephew Tino-Sven plays in midfield but Susic bridles at any suggestion of nepotism: "He's got a beautiful name."

Tactics

The coach says his "tactical gamble" – playing all his star forwards at once in a flexible 4-1-3-2 – is for the good of the game. "When you have players such as these, it would be unfair to the fans, to the sport itself, not to unleash all our talent." It worked in qualifying: 30 goals scored in 10 games – but Susic has named only two strikers in his squad. "As far as I am concerned, Edin Visca, Senijad Ibricic and Izet Hajrovic are all attack-minded players," he says. "I don't really need more than two strikers because we will only start with one in our opening group match against Argentina."

Grudge match

The collapse of Yugoslavia and resultant Bosnian war from 1992-95 would suggest a crack at Croatia might reflect local political tensions but a run of World Cup misses features one side twice: Portugal – play-off defeats before the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012, with the second-leg of the latter tie lost 6-2 – are Bosnia's bogeymen. "I have no tactical regrets," said Susic after that mauling. "They were just better than us."

Holed up

The Dragons' (Zmajevi) den in Brazil is the Casa Grande in the seaside resort of Guarujá, known as "The Pearl of the Atlantic" and 40 miles from São Paulo. Training takes place at the not-quite-finished yet Estádio Municipal Antônio Fernandes. Susic says the locals will be impressed: "I'll be bringing 23 young lads, charming ones with good manners. Everyone will have something nice to say about us."